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acoustic archtop cut-away
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43818		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  dirtyblonde [ Wed Jul 16, 2014 11:09 am ]
Post subject:  acoustic archtop cut-away
1st time building an arch-top, and considering making it a double cut-away....an advice/pros/cons? Currently I play a 16" acoustic arch-top with a single cut, and it sounds awesome....for my build I'm doing a 17" lower bout. I know that it changes the physics of the guitar, creating a loss of mass on the soundboard, but would a double cut be a "noticeable" difference? Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards,
J
Author:  RusRob [ Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: acoustic archtop cut-away
Joe,
You didn't say if you have built any guitars before. If you have not then I would suggest what was suggested to me (I just finished my #1). I also wanted to build a cutaway and it was pretty unanimous that I should start with a standard acoustic or better yet a kit to learn about building. The reasons were pretty sound and the main one being that I would not get bogged down on my first build and get discouraged. I have learned a lot of things that I thought I knew but really didn't. My #1 is complete and it came out much nicer than I expected and I am starting on #2. This one will also be a regular guitar because I learned that doing a cutaway is still a bit over my head.

As for the tone difference? I am not really sure because it depends on a lot more than just the cutaway. How are you planning on bracing it and what dimensions will they be? How think the body will be and what sound hole(s) will you have? What kind of wood it is going to be made of and a slew of other factors go into how a guitar sounds. That is why i am sticking to building a standard guitar for at least the next 4 or 5 before I even try a cutaway.


Cheers,
Bob
Author:  Cush [ Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: acoustic archtop cut-away
A double cutaway offers no greater access on a thick bodied guitar. Due to the width of the neck body joint. Semi hollow body guitars join at the 19th fret rather than the 14th fret and are thinner. So a double cutaway is a good way to go. But wih a full bodied archtop there is no need to do all that bending.
Author:  cphanna [ Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: acoustic archtop cut-away
Hey, Joe,

Bob sure made some good points in his response. I'm not sure anyone can say definitively whether you'd notice a difference between a single and a double cutaway. Sure....such differences could be measured by various scientific means, but would you really hear the difference? Maybe you would, but maybe you wouldn't. All I can tell you for sure is that two cutaway sides will be twice as difficult to bend as one cutaway side. That is not a small consideration. Still, if you're hankering for a double cut, I think you should go for it! I mean it! And best of luck to you no matter what you decide. I hope you will share your results with us, because we all like to see each other's guitars here and there's plenty to learn from everyone's efforts.
Patrick
Author:  Cush [ Fri Jul 18, 2014 9:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: acoustic archtop cut-away
As far as the influence on tone is concerned, I think I agree with Bob Benedetto. In his book the note before chapter two deals with the non cutaway vs. the cutaway model. In the note he says, "The non cutaway has "a distinct acoustical advantage ". There is no mention of a double cutaway, but with the reduced air volume from the extra cutaway there would likely be some change in tone. Also the body mold has to be altered to build the double cutaway.
Author:  Lonnie J Barber [ Fri Jul 18, 2014 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: acoustic archtop cut-away
Unless you own a mega mold


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